The pilot of a “stolen” aircraft who threatened to crash into a Walmart store in US’s Mississippi was arrested on Saturday.
Authorities said the pilot was seen flying over the town in circles for more than an hour. (Screengrab)
HIGHLIGHTS
- A pilot threatened to crash an aircraft into a supermarket in US’s Mississippi.
- The aircraft was allegedly stolen from the Tupelo airport in Mississippi.
- Authorities evacuated the residents living in the area along with several local stores.
The pilot of a “stolen” aircraft who threatened to crash a plane into a Walmart store in the US’s Mississippi state was arrested on Saturday after the plane ran out of fuel and landed in a field.
According to local media, the 9-seater plane was taken from the Tupelo Airport at around 5am local time and the pilot was seen flying over the town in circles for over one hour.
Currently we have a 29yr old who stole this plane & is threatening to crash it into something. Polices ,ambulances ,& fire trucks are everywhere. Everything is shutdown rn pic.twitter.com/AzebdIa3tP
— City King (@CityKing_Gank_) September 3, 2022
Soon after the pilot issued the threat, police evacuated several stores in Tupelo, Mississippi. Authorities also evacuated residents from the area and dispersed as many people as possible.
Officials had said that with the mobility of the aircraft, the danger zone is much larger than the surrounding area.
The Tupelo Police department released a statement on its social media handles about the incident.
WHO IS THE PILOT?
The pilot is an employee of Tupelo Regional Airport, and the plane is 1987 Beech C90A, a nine-seater with two engines, said local media.
The Tupelo police department said they were able to contact the pilot who threatened to intentionally crash the plane. The Daily Mail quoted governor Tate Reeves who warned citizens of the incident and assured that the law enforcement was tracking the situation.
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